A
variety of ailments can pass from you and your other pets to your
ferrets. Learn what to watch for and how to prevent transmission.

by Erika Matulich,
Ph.D.

Volume 2, Number 1

January/February 1999

Note:

These articles and images are
copyrighted and may not be reprinted, re-used, reposted, copied, or
otherwise distributed without permission from the author and
publisher.

Disclaimer:
You should not rely on the veterinary advice or information provided on
this site for diagnosis or treatment of any specific situation. Always
consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the medical
condition or treatment of your own pet or animal.

A
frequent question received by ferret experts is about disease
transmission. "Can my ferret catch leukemia from my cat?"
(No). "Can I give my ferret my cold or flu?" (Yes). "Can
my ferrets give their green slime disease to my child?" (No). This
article first covers the diseases we routinely vaccinate our ferrets
against, and those we vaccinate humans against. Then colds and flus are
covered. Finally, the article lists possible diseases that ferrets can
catch from or give to other family members, as well as diseases we
routinely vaccinate our other pets against. These diseases are presented
alphabetically in categories, such as gastrointestinal ailments,
respiratory problems, and other important diseases. An attempt has been
made to cover as many of the more common diseases as possible, but not
all are listed.

ROUTINE FERRET
VACCINATIONS

Ferrets should be routinely inoculated
with distemper and rabies shots. These should be administered annually
by a veterinarian. Other vaccinations, typically given in combinations
to dogs and cats (such as parvo, feline distemper, or feline leukemia),
are not necessary and can even make your ferret sick.

Distemper

Canine distemper is a virus (paramyxovirus)
that is shed from the infected animal through nasal secretions
(sneezing), eye discharges, urine, feces, and skin debris. Pregnant
ferrets can also transmit it to their unborn babies. These materials can
be "aerosolized" and another animal can breathe the airborne
particles and become infected. A person may get these materials on their
clothing, shoes, or hands and transmit it to another ferret in this
manner. This means the disease can be transmitted without your pet
having direct contact with an infected ferret or dog. You can transmit
it unknowingly on clothes or hands, or it can travel through the air.

The virus attacks body tissues such as
the gastrointestinal tract, bladder, lymph nodes, spleen, salivary
glands, skin, adrenal glands, lungs, and brain. It depresses the body's
immune system and makes it incapable of fighting disease properly. The
pet dies from a combination of the direct effects of the virus on
various organs and from the secondary bacterial and viral infections
that attack the body. Th damaged immune system is unable to fight the
virus.

Canine distemper is 99.5% fatal in the
ferret, so once they have it, treatment is difficult, expensive, and
often futile. The ferret may take from 7 to 21 days from the date of
exposure to start showing signs of the disease. There are a variety of
signs, but usually it starts with an eye discharge that becomes yellow
or green and sticky followed by the eyelids becoming swollen. This
infection rarely responds to antibiotic medications. Next there is nasal
discharge, swelling of the lips and chin, and thick crusts that form on
the eyes, nose, chin, and lips. The ferret becomes more lethargic, and
loses its appetite. Diarrhea may develop. As the disease progresses,
there may be swelling of the anus, thickening and hardening of the pads
of the feet, and orange crusting of the skin in the abdominal and anal
areas. Finally there are muscular tremors, hyperexcitability,
convulsions, and death.

Each ferret is an individual and some
ferrets go directly to the convulsion and hyperexcitable stage without
any discharges. There is no other disease in the ferret that has the
characteristic crusting of the lips or chin and hardening of the pads
all occurring at the same time. Diagnosis is based primarily on signs.
If the pet is not exhibiting "typical" distemper signs, and
one wants to check for the disease, your veterinarian may wish to run
specific tests to confirm the problem. Animals diagnosed with canine
distemper are normally euthanized because the disease difficult and
expensive to treat, and even with treatment, survival is not guaranteed.
The treatment is a transfusion of a serum made from the blood of
well-vaccinated ferrets. To let a pet die "naturally" of the
disease is a cruel choice, unless your vet thinks recovery is likely
with treatment. Additionally, an infected ferret is putting other
animals at risk, as the disease is easily transmitted to other ferrets
and dogs. Any other ferret or dog that has not had distemper shots is at
high risk around an infected ferret.

Your ferret needs an annual canine (not
feline) distemper vaccination of the USDA-approved Fervac-D (by United
Vaccine). Some people use Galaxy-D, which is not specifically approved
for use in ferrets, but has shown to be effective in practical use. Make
sure your dogs receive their appropriate canine distemper shots as well.
Keep in mind that it takes about 14 days for the ferretís immune
system to build up protection from the vaccine, so your ferret is still
susceptible to the disease when first given the shot.

Some ferrets (as many as 10%) have
anaphylactic shock reactions 30 minutes to 3 hours after getting a
distemper vaccine. To reduce the risk associated with this reaction,
there are several safety measures you can take. First, do not give
rabies and distemper shots at the same time. These shots should be given
ideally 6 months apart, otherwise at least 2 weeks apart. Second, plan
to stay at your vet's office at least 30 minutes after the shot, to
check for reactions. Symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, drooling, loss
of bowel control, and coma. Should a reaction occur, a swift response
will save your ferret's life. In case of a reaction, you or your vet
needs to administer an antihistamine. The most common is 1:10,000
epinephrine given subcutaneously. If you are at home and you see the
beginnings of a reaction, you can orally administer children's Benadryl
(3ccs or one teaspoon) before going to the vet, but never give liquids
to an unconscious pet!

The distemper vaccination can protect
your pet for up to 14 months (although it is valid for only 12 months),
but this protection time can diminish if: (1) your ferret was ill during
the vaccination; (2) the ferret had secondary problems at the time of
the shot (such as lymphoma, insulinoma, or adrenal disease); or (3) your
ferret has had repeated exposures to distemper and fought the disease
off (each exposure weakens the protection). Therefore it is important to
keep vaccinations current. Kits need a series of three vaccinations,
each 2-3 weeks apart, beginning at the kitís fifth or sixth week of
life, and then an annual booster. Most pet store kits have only had
their first of three distemper shots, so you must be responsible enough
to finish out the series. If you adopt an older ferret with an unknown
vaccination history, or one that has not had a distemper vaccine in over
two years, a series of 2 shots 3 weeks apart is recommended to keep your
ferret out of danger.

Rabies

Rabies is a serious disease that has
reached epidemic proportions in several areas of the United States. The
disease is typically carried by skunks, foxes, racoons, bats, and some
rodents. The disease is carried in the saliva glands of these animals
and is spread by an infected animal biting another. Because of the
seriousness of the disease, many state health departments require that
your ferrets are routinely vaccinated. Check with your state health
department and city ordinances on rabies shots for your ferrets. Some
require the first vaccination at 3 months, and annually thereafter.
Others require the first vaccination at 6 months and then every year.

Fortunately, ferrets are not very likely
to catch rabies, and even less likely to spread it. Ferrets, because
they are housed indoors, seldom have contact with wildlife that could
carry rabies. Even if a ferret does have contact with a rabid animal,
they are not very susceptible to the disease, or if they do get it, they
die very quickly (within a matter of days). Furthermore, most strains of
rabies donít seem to survive well in the ferretís salivary glands,
so it is difficult for the ferret to spread rabies. There have been a
few cases of rabies in ferrets reported in the United States, but no
human beings have ever gotten rabies from a ferret. Even so, for legal
reasons it is extremely important to get your ferret inoculated. Your
ferret may be at risk of being destroyed, according to local laws, if he
accidentally nips or scratches a human and has not had a rabies shot.

IMRAB-3 is a rabies vaccine of killed
virus organism that has been approved for ferrets by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture and the American Veterinary Medical Association. IMRAB-3
is manufactured by Rhone Merieux, Inc. It is commonly used for cats and
dogs, where it has been tested to be effective for three years. It has
not been specifically tested in ferrets past one year, so ferrets must
still be vaccinated annually. This vaccine can be given to healthy
ferrets 3 months of age or older with an annual booster. In most states,
only a licensed veterinarian can administer a rabies shot. For legal
reasons, get a rabies certificate (showing the name of the vaccine, the
lot number, and date of inoculation) to show that your ferret has been
vaccinated. In many states, a rabies tag or license is not sufficient
documentation for protection.

ROUTINE HUMAN
VACCINATIONS

Humans vaccinate their children against a
number of diseases such as diphtheria, mumps, measles, whooping cough,
and polio. None of these diseases transmit to or from ferrets.

COLDS AND FLUS

Ferrets are susceptible to the same types
of colds and flu as humans get and will display the same symptoms: runny
or stuffy nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, and loss of appetite.
In particular, the human viral influenza type A is a problem. If any
members in your household are experiencing symptoms of illness you
should not let your ferrets come in contact with them, especially kits,
elderly, or pregnant ferrets. Ferrets can easily catch your cold or flu,
and your sick ferret can re-transmit the disease back to you.

There is generally no need for
medication; just make sure the ferret drinks plenty of water and its
environment is free of drafts. Some ferret owners will give a 1cc dose
of Children's Sudafed (raspberry-flavored) for the stuffiness. If
symptoms become chronic and persist for more than three days, take your
pet to the vet, as a secondary infection may have set in. Never give
aspirin to a ferret.

GASTROINTESTINAL
(DIGESTIVE) AILMENTS

Ferrets can suffer from a wide variety of
gastrointestinal ailments that cause diarrhea, or other types of unusual
stools. Because there are so many sources of these problems, a fecal
check by your veterinarian may be the best bet for accurate diagnosis.
Many of these diseases may be preceded by vomiting. These ailments
include:

Aleutians Disease
is a form of parvovirus that is highly contagious from ferret to ferret.
The disease causes gastrointestinal and neurological problems and is
usually fatal within 6 months. Aleutians is not the same parvo that cats
and dogs get, so the diseases is not contagious to or from these other
household pets. Unfortunately, there is no preventive vaccine for
ferrets and no effective treatment available. A test is available from
United Vaccines to see if your ferret had Aleutians.

Botulism is
a form of food poisoning from canned food that has spoiled. Botulism is
potentially fatal (to both humans and pets). Do not feed your ferrets
food that you would not eat, or food from old, dented cans. The botulism
organism must be ingested, so the disease is not contagious in any other
way. Vomiting and diarrhea occurs, with rapid onset of shock.

Coccidia is
when intestinal parasites cause loose stools or stomach upset. Coccidia
is highly contagious from ferret to ferret and can also be transmitted
to other pets and humans. Microscopic examination of stool samples can
help to diagnose this problem. This disease is fairly common in ferrets.

Cryptosporidiosis
is a potential disease with all humans and animals from water filtration
problems. Because the public water supply in this country is fairly
safe, this problem would be seldom encountered. The disease is difficult
to diagnose, often fatal, and would have symptoms of severe
gastrointestinal upset by all family members.

Epizootic Catarrhal
Enteritis (ECE): The "greenies" is highly contagious
from ferret to ferret, but does not appear to transmit to other pets or
humans. Characterized by vomited and green, slimy diarrhea, the disease
is potentially life-threatening if supportive care (fluids, liquid
nutrients, and antibiotics) are not provided. Even after symptoms have
disappeared, and ECE-ferret will be a carrier and will continue to
spread the disease to other ferrets.

Giardia (Montezuma's
Revenge) is highly contagious to and among humans, cats, dogs, ferrets
through fecal-oral contact. The usual source is fishtanks, rodents (pet
hamsters or rats), or any stagnant water. Do not let your ferret lap
water from your fishtank or turtle bowl! Gastrointestinal upset, ulcers
and other problems may result from giardia. This disease is treated with
antibiotics and/or paste wormers, along with bleach disinfectant of all
surfaces a ferret may contact.

Proliferative
Colitis is camphylobacter infection of the intestine and can be
treated with antibiotics. Both humans and ferrets can get this, but it
is unknown how the disease is transmitted.

Salmonella
can easily be caught by both humans and ferrets; this disease causes
severe gastrointestinal upset. Salmonella can be transmitted by
reptiles. Do not feed your ferrets raw eggs or raw chicken, which both
carry salmonella. Those who have caught salmonella can potentially
spread it.

RESPIRATORY (LUNG AND
NOSE) PROBLEMS

Ferrets can also suffer from a wide
variety of lung and nose ailments. Often, these can be allergies, so
make sure you are not using scented laundry detergent or fabric softener
on their bedding, avoid smoking around ferrets, clean litterboxes at
least daily, and don't use insecticides in the house. Ferrets may also
cough because of hair or other items lodged in the throat (try Laxatone).
Diseases that are not allergies are detailed below.

Bordatella
bronchiseptia (kennel cough) is normal to be carried by dogs,
cats, humans, and ferrets; the disease asserts itself when the immune
system is stressed or when the animal is exposed to high concentrations
(such as when boarding your ferret in a dog kennel). Do not treat
ferrets with preventive dog medications (nasal drops); these can CAUSE
bordatella; treat with antibiotics post-infection.

Histoplasmosis
is a deep fungal disease originating from bat guano. The disease results
in pneumonia-like symptoms, but is difficult to identify and treat.

Pneumonia in
the human respiratory system does not appear to transmit to or from
ferrets.

Pneumocystic
pneumonia is a protozoal disease common in HIV patients. This
type of pneumonia could be transmittable to ferrets with suppressed
immune systems.

Rhinotracheitis
is a cat-specific disease apparently nontransmittable to other pets
(including ferrets) or humans.

Respiratory
Syncytial Virus is sometimes seen in human infants; ferrets could
be prone to catching this if their immune systems are depressed. There
is the possibility of transmitting this virus from human to ferret and
back to humans.

Tuberculosis
has been seen in ferrets in New Zealand. This disease can be transmitted
back and forth between ferrets and humans. This strain's source is
usually a monkey and has not been seen in the United States.

OTHER DISEASES

There are a variety of other diseases
that cause skin, eye, urinary tract, or other problems. These include:

Chlamydia psittaci is
a potential problem for ferrets, resulting in conjunctivitis of the eye.
The disease could be caught from parrots. It is potentially
transmittable from an infected ferret to humans.

Coronavirus
is not transmittable to ferrets from dogs.

Cryptococcosis
is menengial encephalitis. 3 cases have been found in ferrets; it is a
deep fungal disease from pigeon excreta and soil.

Distemper (feline)
is not transmittable from cats to ferrets.

Distemper (canine)
as noted above is easily transmittable from dogs to ferrets and vice
versa..

Feline AIDS
is thought not to transmit to other animals, but more research is needed
in this area.

Infectious canine
hepatitis has shown no evidence that it can be transmitted from
dogs to ferrets.

Leptospirosis
is a potential problem for ferrets (and humans), but uncommon. The
bacterial infection may cause a urinary tract infection that must be
treated with antibiotics.

Leukemia (feline)
is not transmittable from cats to ferrets.

Parvovirus (feline
or canine) does not appear to be in ferrets.

Ringworm is
a fungal infection causing circular rashes; highly contagious to and
from humans and other animals, as well as between ferrets. Must be
treated with topical creams.

Tetanus clostridium
is a potential danger to ferrets, as with humans. The disease usually
enters through a puncture wound, causing stiff walking, "wooden
tongue," and slobbering. It is otherwise not contagious.

Toxoplasmosis
is rarely seen in ferrets. A ferret can ingest oocytes from cat feces,
but most ferrets do not appear to re-shed the oocytes. In cat feces, the
oocytes can cause placental separation in pregnant human women. To be
safe, pregnant women should not change the litterbox of a cat or a
ferret.

CONCLUSION

In general, ferrets are healthy animals,
especially when receiving regular canine distemper and rabies
vaccinations and annual or semi-annual visits to their ferret
veterinarian. Human colds and flus are a potential problem, but few
other diseases will be contagious among your pets and other family
members.

Special thanks to Dr.
Roger Kendrick, DVM, for assistance with this article